Down with the Ship
by littlebitclever
Summary: Monsters are invading, and it's too late to save the Argo II. Leo Valdez sacrifices himself to give his friends enough time to escape, which means his death. But somehow, Leo wakes up on a mysterious island with a mysterious girl, who may be the person of his dreams. Soon, it is up to him to save his and her life, and help her leave her prison forever. One-shot.


**This story was inspired by viria *dot* tumblr *dot* com**

**She came up with the idea first in the form of art. I expanded it. Credit for the cover picture also goes to her.**

* * *

"_It's hopeless!"_

"_No, I'm not giving up! A captain goes down with his ship."_

"_Leo, I can't risk that! _We_ can't risk that. If you're going to die—"_

"_This is my choice. I can hold the ship up long enough to get all of you out of here. I'll be right behind you."_

"_Leo, please!"_

"_Just GO! Save yourself!"_

_Explosions rocked the ship, throwing Leo against the wall. The door slammed shut as they left, and Leo was left alone. Fire was spreading up the hull, and would soon take over the control room. Leo slid down the wall and crawled across the shaking ground, trying to make it to the controls. Fire was everywhere. Smoke billowed in front of the portholes, making visibility nearly impossible._

_Leo heaved himself onto the wooden chair, hands flying over the buttons and dials. Pieces of charred wood fell from the ceiling, filling the room with sparks. He had little time._

_But nothing was working. Festus was creaking to him, telling him to leave. But he couldn't do that. Leo had invested his life into this ship, and he wasn't about to abandon it._

_He had one option left, and thinking about it made his stomach churn. It would risk his life. But wasn't that normal for a demigod?_

_He entered the security code with trembling fingers, and a small blue button flicked into view, pulsing with a tiny light. Pressing this button would end everything, and take down the army of Gaea invading the ship._

_He hoped that his friends made it off the Argo II okay. He hoped that his friends were still alive._

_He reached for the seemingly harmless button and placed a finger on it. _

_He closed his eyes, and pushed._

_And the entire world exploded._

* * *

...

Fire.

It was the first thing that Leo could think of.

It was everywhere. It was on the walls, the ceiling, the floor, his clothes, his hair.

His body felt like fire was coursing through his veins instead of blood, and for a moment, he felt a surge of panic. He was supposed to be immune to fire, wasn't he? Why did everything hurt?

He tried to move, but the pain surged. Just lifting a finger sent a white-hot pain shooting up his arm.

With a sudden realization, he noticed that his eyes were closed. He tried to open them, but felt like they were welded shut. With as much effort as he could muster, he managed to open his eyes.

Something was gazing at him.

Not something, some_one._

A girl.

A pretty girl.

A _beautiful_ girl.

"What...what happened?" he croaked. "Agh, my head." He lifted a bruised hand and gingerly touched a huge goose egg that was sprouting on his scalp.

The girl leaned in closer and came into focus, and Leo caught the faint smell of cinnamon. "Are you alright?"

Leo couldn't help but stare. "Whoa."

It was as if the girl of his dreams had materialized in front of him. She had caramel colored hair braided over one shoulder, and eyes so light brown that they were almost gold. She was wearing a white Greek dress, and had this incredible look of natural beauty. It looked effortless.

"That's it," Leo said. "I've died."

The girl smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "I didn't know if you were alive."

"So I'm not dead. This is real? You're real?" Leo instantly wish he could swallow his words the moment he said them. He was always an idiot in front of girls.

"I'm real," she assured him with a sad smile. "You feel my hand on your cheek, can you not?"

"Yeah, I—_agh_." Leo tried to sit up, but spots erupted in his vision, and he nearly blacked out.

"You must rest, brave one," the girl said. "You've been through much."

Leo could feel unconsciousness pulling at him, but he refused to give in.

"What's your name?" He wanted to know, just in case this was all a dream.

"I am Calypso," she said.

"I'm Leo," he managed to say.

"Leo..." Calypso murmured.

"Yeah, it's..."

But he never got to finish. The spots flooded his vision, and he slipped into a faint.

* * *

When he woke up again, he was lying in a cushioned gazebo. Vines and flowers wound themselves up the polished columns. The sky was a perfect blue, and he could hear the singing of birds.

Leo moaned and finally managed to sit up. He blinked his eyes a few times looked around.

Calypso was humming to herself underneath a honeysuckle bush, her hands in soft dirt. She pulled out a small cutting of a flower and planted it in the soil.

"It wasn't a dream," Leo whispered, relief flooding him. If he had dreamed up Calypso himself, his unconscious would have been a jerk.

Unless, it was still a dream...?

Leo quickly shook off the thought. If it was, he wanted to stay in it as long as possible.

Calypso turned around and saw him looking at her. She stood, brushed her hands off on her dress, and walked toward him, smiling.

"Good afternoon," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck," Leo groaned.

She looked at him quizzically. "Truck?"

"You don't know what a truck is?" Leo asked.

Calypso shook her head. "I've been separated from the world for a long time."

"So no airplanes? United States? Taco Bell?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Where am I?" Leo muttered.

Calypso reached into a small pouch tied around her waist and pulled out a flask. She handed it to Leo, and he looked at it apprehensively. "What is this?"

"It is nectar," Calypso said. "It will heal you."

Leo nodded and took a hesitant sip. Instantly, the taste of his mother's homemade enchiladas filled his mouth. It felt like it would be gross, sipping liquid Mexican food, but it was the first thing he'd had in a long time that felt like home. It reminded him of his mom, and embarrassingly, tears almost came to his eyes.

He tried to hold them back. There was no way that he was going to cry in front of someone as beautiful as Calypso.

Unfortunately, she noticed his sadness. It looked as if she was just as sad as he was.

"The taste of nectar can sometimes be a bittersweet thing," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" Leo said. "Nah, I'm fine."

He sniffed and put the flask down. Calypso didn't press the issue any further. He had a feeling that she knew a lot more than she let on.

"To answer your first question," Calypso said, "you are on a small island called Ogygia. My home...and my prison."

"Prison?" Leo asked. "This place is amazing."

"Would you like to walk with me?" Calypso asked. "Do you have the strength?"

"I'll be fine," Leo grunted, trying to stand up. Calypso gave a steady hand and helped him to his feet.

As they walked through a beautiful garden, Calypso spoke.

"I don't know how long I've been here. Time doesn't seem to move the same way here as it does in the world. As punishment for supporting my father, Atlas, in the first Titan War, I was placed on this island, never to leave. The gods were merciful. Not all of the Titan supporters are as privileged as I am."

She paused. Leo waited patiently, even though he was dying to do something with his hands. Stupid ADHD.

"The gods would sometimes come to visit, to keep me a small amount of company and to update me on the changing world. But life here is lonely. I have no one to be with, no one to talk to. I wish, for all that it is worth, that I could leave."

"Why don't you?" Leo asked.

Calypso looked at him, and her eyes began to get misty.

"Because I am afraid," she whispered.

"I don't understand."

Calypso looked away from Leo and gazed at the ocean. The waves lapped silently on the shoreline, and it was several moments before she spoke again.

"Some time ago, or perhaps even yesterday, a boy quite like yourself arrived on my shores. He was burned, battered, and bruised. I nursed him back to health. His name was Percy."

Leo inhaled so sharply he choked on his own spit. "_What_?"

Calypso looked at him, surprised. "You know him?"

"Know him?" Leo said. "He's my friend."

The expression on Calypso's face was unreadable. It was a mix of excitement, grief, and hope. "Percy has made a large impact on my life. He's saved it. It is because of him that I am free to go. My punishment no longer stands. I am free to leave whenever I choose."

"What are you afraid of?" Leo asked. "If you can leave, why don't you?"

Calypso stared into Leo's eyes, and his heart started to pound out of his chest.

"I have lived my entire life on this island," Calypso said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It is all that I know. If I stay, I remain immortal. I don't have to face sickness or death. Can you understand my fear?"

"But there are so many good things in the world, too!" Leo said. "Friendships, adventures, pizza!"

"And Taco Bell?" Calypso asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"And Taco Bell." Leo grinned.

Calypso laughed, and it was one of the most beautiful things that Leo had ever heard. He was starting to like this girl more and more.

She led him over to a bench, and they both sat down. Leo hadn't realized how sore and tired he was, and he was glad to rest his legs.

"So Percy lifted your house arrest?" Leo asked.

"Yes." Calypso nodded. "At the end of the second Titan War, he petitioned for me and others who were of no threat to the gods to go free. Hermes visited me shortly after and told me this. But I've still been here."

Leo automatically took her hand in his, and was shocked at his own bravery.

"You don't have to be afraid," Leo said.

* * *

The days passed and probably turned into weeks. Leo was still slowly recovering, but he could now spend hours standing before having to sit after exhaustion. Invisible servants wafted around the island, providing food and drink.

While eating dinner one night in the gazebo, Leo suddenly had an idea.

"I'll need to leave soon," Leo started.

Calypso, who was smiling before, suddenly got a look of extreme sadness.

"What?" Leo asked. "What is it?"

"I was hoping this day would never come," Calypso said, staring at her bread. "I've enjoyed every moment with you Leo. But it is selfish for me to want you to stay."

She bit her lip. "The Fates are still cruel to me. I was hoping that since my punishment has been lifted, they would remove their interfering. But it seems I was wrong.

"They always send a hero to me. One that needs my help. One that I can't help but start to have feelings for."

Leo didn't know if this was real. He was floating in the clouds. A girl. An amazing, beautiful, down-to-earth girl, had just confessed that she loved him.

"Calypso..." Leo said. "I—"

"I know," Calypso said, her eyes getting teary. "You must leave. You must return to your friends. To Percy and Annabeth and—"

Leo moved over next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Come with me."

"What?" Calypso stared at him.

"You told me yourself," Leo said. "The punishment has been lifted. You can leave whenever you want. And I want you to come with me. Maybe the Fates aren't so cruel after all."

Before Calypso could say anything more, Leo leaned in and kissed her.

He could feel her tense up, but then melted into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Leo twisted his fingers in her hair. Fireworks erupted behind his eyelids as he breathed in the scent of cinnamon and jasmine. He was afraid that his hair would light on fire.

After a moment, she pulled away, and she was smiling.

Actually smiling.

Leo couldn't believe that the girl of his dreams would actually like him back.

"Leo, I..."

But she was cut off. A small rumble came from the ground. It soon became stronger, and the ground rolled to them in waves.

"What is happening?" Calypso cried.

"Earthquake!" Leo shouted. He stood, grabbed Calypso's hands, and pulled her away from the gazebo not a second too late. Where they had been sitting before was smashed by a falling timber from the ceiling.

"Quickly! To the cave!" Calypso screamed.

She pulled Leo across the meadow, but it was too late. The quake had become stronger, and they were unable to run. Trees struck by lightning started to fall, and the ground began to split under their feet.

"We have to get off the island!" Leo shouted.

Fear was in Calypso's eyes. "I don't know if I can."

"Calypso, please!" Leo begged. "Do this for me."

But before he heard her answer, an explosion erupted above them, nearly blowing out Leo's eardrums.

A branch was struck by lightning, and it was beginning to snap off of the tree, and it was going to fall.

Directly on Calypso.

"No!" Leo screamed. He ran forward and tackled her to the ground, pushing her out of the way. She sat up and saw the flaming branch fall on Leo.

"Leo!" she screamed. "No!"

The Fates were cruel indeed.

She ran forward, not caring if she was going to burn herself. She was going to get that branch off of Leo, whatever it took.

But before she could even reach him, the branch stirred. She stared in amazement as Leo emerged from the flames, heaving the branch on his shoulders and throwing it off him.

"Leo, how...?"

"Son of Hephaestus, and immune to fire," Leo said. His clothes were still flaming, but he didn't seem to care.

The sky was turning a stormy gray, and the wind was blowing strongly. Waves over fifteen feet tall were crashing on the shore. It seemed as if the Apocalypse was happening at that moment.

"We need to get off this island!" Leo said. "And you're coming with me!"

Calypso nodded, and grabbed his hand, the wind pulling her hair out of her braid and whipping it around her face.

Even with death on the horizon, she still looked amazing.

"There is one way to leave."

They ran through the labyrinth of fallen trees and fire, leaped over huge cracks cracks in the ground. Lightning erupted in the sky, followed by claps of thunder.

Calypso lead them to the lake in the center of the island. A massive raft with a white linen sail was tied to shore.

"This is the way to leave?" Leo asked.

"Just trust me!"

She ran to the ropes and began to untie the raft. "Get on and tell it where you want to go!"

Leo ran to the raft and jumped on, pulling Calypso with him. She fell against his chest, and he could hear her crying.

"House of Hades, Epirus," Leo said. He prayed that his friends would be there waiting for him.

If they didn't think that he was already dead.

The raft immediately pulled away from the shore of the lake. In moments, Ogygia was in the distance. Black storm clouds surrounded the island, lighting striking the ground.

Then, with a groan that steadily got louder and louder until it was a deafening roar, the island split in two. It began to sink into the ocean. Leo could still see the remains of the gazebo that he and Calypso had spent so much time in before it was swallowed by the waves.

Calypso was sobbing, staring at what was once her home. She clutched Leo's shirt, and then turned into his chest. Leo placed a comforting arm around her and pulled her close. He didn't know what to say. This honestly had never happened to him before.

Soon, all that was left of Ogygia was the flat surface of the sea.

It was gone.

The black clouds separated, and soon the sun came out again. The sunshine just seemed cruel.

Soon, Calypso was able to calm down. She sucked in a shaky breath and looked at Leo with tearful eyes.

"Why did this happen?" she said wetly.

Leo stared at the waves before he answered. "Maybe because it was time for you to go. Maybe it was because that was the last hero you were supposed to take care of."

"You?" Calypso asked.

Leo didn't know what to say.

They spent another few minutes in silence before Calypso broke it.

"Leo...I want to thank you."

Leo looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"It is because of you that I am truly able to leave behind my punishment. You made me brave. You gave me the strength."

She placed a hand on his cheek, and he could feel goosebumps erupt on his arms. He prayed that his hair wasn't on fire again. That would be embarrassing.

"You are brave, my hero."

And she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

**Sigh...**

**I've always liked Calypso, and when I saw viria post a picture of Calypso and Leo on her tumblr, I just had to write about it. Calypso and Leo never had any luck in the romance department, and for me, they just seemed completely perfect for each other.**

**Sorry for any OOC with Leo/Calypso. I've never written about Leo before, so he may not be perfect. I did try my hardest, but since this was a romance, there wasn't much of Leo's humor in it.**

**Thanks for reading, everyone! If you liked it, be sure to drop in a review. It means a lot.**

**~littlebitclever**

**P.S. Sorry if this story seems a little bit rushed or slow. I've never done a one-shot before.**


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